Gretchen Albrecht

Gretchen Albrecht has often looked to nature (gardens, the ocean, sunrises and sunsets) and to culture (architecture, art history) as inspiration for her work. Now in her eighties, she has been considering the works that have made a lasting impression on her. One of these is Joseph Mallord William Turner's The Scarlet Sunset: A ?French Town on a River, c.1830, held at the Tate and famous for its glowing depiction of a sunset, with the sun's last light reflected in the water shown as a shimmering ribbon of gold paint. Albrecht's homage retains that detail, combining her exceptional understanding of colour and paint-handling skills to create what she calls "a radiant event" that hums with joy and optimism.